Wind Rider
by Reveille
Summary: At a young age, Colleen Halford was thrust into Tony Stark's arms. As a result, she was kept hidden for most of her childhood and enjoyed life's luxuries under J.A.R.V.I.S. and Pepper Pott's watchful eyes. Now that she's older, Tony wants her to experience a "normal teenage" life which involves the dreaded, public school system. Starts a few months before CA: Civil War.[Peter x OC]
1. Chapter 1: Quinoa

_Disclaimer: I do not own Spider Man: Homecoming, Avengers, Captain America: Civil War or any other Marvel character and universe elements. I only own my OCs and the plot of the story before and after movie settings. This applies to every chapter of Wind Rider._

* * *

 _My mother always thought I would be special, but I don't think she knew just how right she was. It was a parental thing, the type that made you watch your children through rose colored glasses. Where one day, you could even imagine your kid as the president of the country. But of course, for most, the thought alone would disappear as years pass. The bigger concern was putting food on the table and praying that your kid would graduate from high school. But it was harmless, a single anomaly in a lifetime. Things change, people grow, and the world continues to spin. You fall into a routine working a 9 to 5 job and hope that your children find success in a world of cut throat competition. But it'll be fine, because at the end of the day, you'll come home, strip the façade, and kiss the kids goodnight. Why? Because you're normal. And your kid is normal._

 _But what if they're not? What if they're the blip in a timeline of normalcy. And now you're the one who has to take care of this said "blip," and hope they live a fulfilling life like any other kid. Your fingers indefinitely crossed that they don't get exiled out of the social hierarchy that is high school. Trust me, when I say, my parents definitely had at least one panic attack. I think I would've, too, if I saw my kid play with her dolls without touching them, or launch her birthday cake at a wall when she tried to blow out her candles. But they made it work, they had to, until they couldn't. It became too much, the secrecy, the lies, the fake smiles. And then I found myself dumped onto my godfather. I watched him stumble and fall to care for me, a child he never expected to enter his life the way I did. And it wasn't perfect. I wasn't perfect. He wasn't either. But the life we had? It was special._

"Just putting it out there, I didn't sign up for this," a teenage girl pointed her fork accusingly at the man in front of her. Her chocolate colored eyes narrowed at the sight of his slight smirk. He leaned back, his elbow instinctively found rest on the back of his chair.

"I know, I did," he responded. There was a pause as he seemed to relish the silence he created. He tapped his middle finger onto the table before straightening up his posture. Leaning forward, he clasped his hands together and set them gently on the table. "I've made the executive decision to send you into the public schooling system, effective today." The girl opened her mouth to speak but was cut off before she could start. "No arguing, it's already official. School starts in an hour and a half."

Ignoring his statement, she stabbed her fork into the side of her pancake before speaking. "I was doing just fine with the curriculum J.A.R.V.I.S. pulled together last year before he-," remembering the unfortunate end that fell upon the user interface system, she paused. "Never mind that, I'm still progressing better than any other kid my age. I've already surpassed the state's standardized expectations by two years." She left the utensil sticking out of her breakfast and ran a hand through her dirty blonde locks. "I excel here," she sighed, a hint of desperation in her voice.

"I know, that's the point. You've been sitting in this facility for the last year, and before that, the tower and the mansion for most all your life. I'm surprised you haven't merged into the walls already." He threw up his hands in exasperation. "You need to experience what teens your age goes through. You need to- I don't know- eat crappy school lunch and play kickball or something. You'll only be attending the spring term for now, anyways," he paused for a moment. "This is what your parents would have wanted." Her face immediately hardened.

"You don't know that. They haven't seen me in almost a decade," her eyes flickered to her food. She always hated it when he brought them up. Not because of what they did, leaving her with him, but because he never thought he was a good enough parent figure for her. It was so very far from the truth. Although, he wasn't the best at showing affection or knowing what to do every step of the way, he tried his best. He demonstrated his love through the way he let her watch him work in his lab and the way he gave her subtle encouragement in all her endeavors. And that's all she ever wanted. "Anyways, aren't you concerned I could lose control, or whatever, while I'm there?"

"You're perfectly in control," he quickly replied.

"That's not what you said when the Chitauri invaded," she mumbled. She picked up her knife and resumed cutting up her pancake.

"You were 11!"

"And Sokovia?"

"Look, just give it a spin and see what happens. At the very least, you'll learn to make friends," he picked up his cup of coffee and took a small sip, changing the topic completely.

"I know how to make friends," her voice rose up defensively.

"The Avengers do not count. You cannot simply just woo someone into a friendship by talking about the circadian rhythm in plants and its effect on fragrance emission at 11 like you did with Banner. And for the record, who cares about plant's circadian rhythms?" He got up from his seat and readjusted his suit jacket.

"I do! It helps with resource efficiency, and I'll have you know, Banner found it mildly interesting. He said it was a nice break from what he was doing, you know, flowers and all that," her voice dropped near the end. She hadn't seen the scientist since the Avengers assembled and left for Sokovia a year ago. "Anyways, I get it, Tony. I get why you're putting me through this, but did you really have to come out of self-imposed retirement to break this kind of news to me? I mean, I expected a long dramatic hug and an apology, but instead I get hit in the face with the impending doom of being trapped in a building with strangers. I mean, you left me with Natasha and Steve, which was bad enough. They're not exactly parent-material."

"I knew you missed me."

"In your dreams," the blonde retorted. She sat in silence for a moment before sighing, "Fine, I'll go."

"You will?" he raised a brow. His initial shock was covered almost immediately as he gave her an approving nod.

"It's not like I really have a choice. You already signed me up." She grabbed the end of her fork to push the pancake around on her plate. Most of her plate had been left untouched by the sudden bout of bad news.

"Well," he sniffed. "Good. Now that that's over, we can move on with our mornings."

"But, you haven't even told me what school I'm attending." She watched as he headed over to the kitchen pantry and pulled out a box. From inside, he took out a brochure. "Really? In the quinoa?" She looked over at him incredulously.

"It was a good hiding spot. We both know you don't like it," he set the box on the counter and walked over to her. She eyed the approaching piece of paper with apprehension. "Here," he laid it out in front of her before heading towards the elevator. "I'm heading out on official adult business!"

"That's what you always say!" She called out as she scanned the blue brochure from top to bottom. Her eyes widened when she read the school address. "Wait!" she looked up in terror. Tony was already getting into the elevator. "The school's in Queens!"

"Good luck!" he gave a simple wave as the doors closed.

* * *

"Oh great," the teen mumbled to herself as she stared wide-eyed. She had just walked through the front doors of Midtown School of Science and Technology. The hallway was crowded with students walking to get to class or hanging out. She pulled out her schedule for the umpteenth time this morning and read the header. "Locker 1180," she frowned as she looked back up. There was no way she'd be able to find it in this amount of chaos. At this point, some of the teens started whispering to each other, finally noticing her standing awkwardly at the front door. "Thanks Tony." She started making her way through the hall, keeping an eye out on the labels of the locker doors. She was only a couple steps away when a guy side-stepped in front of her.

"So, you're the new girl," the teen leaned against the locker with a smirk.

"Yeah," the blonde replied, unsure of what to make of the situation. Maybe Tony was right. Maybe she didn't know how to act around people her age. She had been out of the public loop for most of her life and now, when confronted with it in the form of a dark-haired guy, she was tongue-tied. She could already feel her heart rate quicken. How do you even explain something like this? She could live and hang out with world-class super heroes but couldn't even talk to a person her age. A million thoughts raced through her head and she honestly felt like she was about to hurl.

"Well, I'm Flash," he stuck out his hand to shake and she slowly accepted it. Before the handshake was done, he had jerked her forward so that she was uncomfortably close to him. "And you are…?" He trailed off. She was screaming internally. This was not how the first day of school was supposed to go. She quickly tried to compose herself, clearing her head of all drowning thoughts.

"Not interested," she quickly broke their clasped hands and stepped back. "Sorry," she quickly moved passed him and made it to her locker. Pull yourself together.

"Not interested? I'm the amazing Flash Thompson. Every girl is interested, trust me," the guy from before followed her as she fumbled with the locker combination. "And you, new girl, should count yourself lucky. It's not every day that Flash takes notice, you know?" She finally managed to get the dang door open and was grateful that the locker opened to cover the guy's face. He shuffled behind her for a second and ended up on her left side. "How about a date? Then we'll get to really know each other."

"Nope," she stated quickly as she stuffed her backpack into her locker and pulled out a few essentials.

"Oh, I see how it is. You're the type to play hard to get, well, don't worry, I'm very persistent," he straightened up before turning to leave. "You'll be seeing much more of me," Flash gave a quick wink. He strolled off, but not before pausing to intimidate two guys a couple lockers down from her. She watched as they nervously responded. Flash walked away afterwards and the two heaved a sigh of relief.

"You two don't seem to like him that much either," she closed her locker and walked towards them. This could be her one and only chance to at least become acquaintances with someone. The taller one looked behind him for a second before looking back at her with wide eyes.

"Y-you're talking to us?" he stuttered as he pointed at himself and his darker-skinned friend.

"Yeah, should I not be?" she raised a brow, shifting the books around in her arms. Just play it cool.

"We're just, kind of, the bottom of the food chain, you know?" His friend replied. He had longer hair with a middle part and he seemed quite friendly. "People don't really talk to us. Anyways, I've never seen you before, are you new?" He quickly changed the subject and she nodded in reply.

"Colleen. Colleen Halford. You could say I transferred in." She shifted on her feet, suddenly aware of how tight her black ankle boots were. Was it getting hot in here? "And you two are…," she trailed off as her eyes landed on the guy nervously messing with his backpack strap. He was a brunette with a fair complexion and honestly, quite cute. She could already hear Tony's voice in the back of her head saying, "no boys."

"I'm Ned Leeds, and this is Peter Parker," he smiled. "It's nice to meet you."

"Y-yeah, re-really nice," Peter couldn't meet her eyes for some odd reason.

"Since you're new and everything, maybe you could eat with us at lunch sometime," Ned perked up, seemingly covering the silence his friend created. "We get a lot of table space."

"That sounds great," Colleen shot him a grateful smile. She had almost let out a sigh of relief at the offer.

"Shouldn't we get going to class N-Ned?" Peter stuttered quickly after catching her eye.

"Class doesn't start for another 30 min-," Ned started before Peter laughed awkwardly and pulled him away, saying something about "man-to-man talk". Colleen blinked as she watched them disappear into the crowd.

"Right," she hugged her books tighter to her chest feeling the nervousness set in once again. "Thanks Tony."


	2. Chapter 2: Pancakes

_Thank you for the unexpected, but amazing response to the first chapter. I would never have guessed that it would've gotten the love that it did. I hope you continue to enjoy the story._

* * *

"How was it?" Natasha Romanoff stood in the Avenger Facility's recreational room, stretching her arms. A few S.H.I.E.L.D. recruits were using the training machines just out of earshot and Sam Wilson, commonly known as Falcon, was lifting weights in the corner. Everyone was in their zone and seemed to pay the two women no mind. They knew better than to get into Black Widow's business.

"Awful and awkward," Colleen replied. She sat cross-legged on a light blue yoga mat. The blonde had her hair tied up in a tight pony-tail and was wearing a loose tank top and shorts. She had done some cardio training before Natasha walked in. "I don't want to go back. One day was enough to last a lifetime," she shuddered at the thought of another day at the science and tech school. "The lessons were awful! I'm surprised I didn't take an impromptu nap right then and-."

"Friends?" The red-head interrupted, ignoring the teen's complaints. "Remember, I can get answers out of anyone," Natasha continued her stretches, now putting her full body into it. She wasn't even looking at the girl. Colleen adverted her eyes quickly, falling silent for a moment. She knew it was coming. Tony had probably requested Natasha to ask her before he had left. There was no way she could weasel out of this one.

"I-," her gaze lowered, suddenly finding the floor fascinating. "I didn't make any," she bit her lip. "There were these two guys, though," she paused as flashes of Peter and Ned flew threw her mind, along with a million questions. Why had Peter dragged his friend off? Did he not like her? They had only just met. She sighed, unsure of what to make of it all and, of course, for the unavoidable speech Natasha was about to give her. For once, she wished it was Steve that was the one doing the asking. He was much more passive in his guidance and wasn't as quick to jump into a grueling lecture. Even Tony would have been a better alternative, but who knows what the "genius, billionaire, play-boy, philanthropist" was up to. "They kind of ran off."

"Sounds like you didn't try," the woman stated bluntly, straightening up. She headed over to a punching bag and began her warm up. "If you don't try, you're not going to get anywhere in life. Take it from all of us," she threw a few quick punches. "This is nothing compared to the real world. And I don't just mean the normal side of things." Colleen looked up from the floor. She watched as the woman gave a few solid kicks to the bag, sending it careening in the air. "I know you want to fight and I know you begged to come to Sokovia last year. If you can't even make friends, how are you going to face the battle that's yet to come?" The teen swallowed, processing the hard truth. She was reminded why she hated being lectured by Natasha because the spy was always right. "So, get off the ground and stop complaining, or you'll join the recruits in doing laps outside." Colleen immediately looked outside. The recreational room's windows overlooked the pool and the outdoor track. There were men and women dressed in sweatpants and a blue recruit top running together in the brisk winter air.

"Yes, Natasha," Colleen sighed and stood up. There was no arguing when it came to the older woman. Natasha brushed off her hands after steadying the punching bag and turned towards her.

"All of us want you to succeed, Tony especially. Don't disappoint," she nodded towards Colleen.

"I won't," the teen responded quietly. Natasha seemed to find the short answer satisfactory and didn't push any further. The red-head picked up her water bottle from the ground and took a sip. She had barely broken a sweat.

"Now that I've warmed up a bit, I have some Avengers to kick into shape. Don't wait up for dinner and don't pout and drag your feet. Some trainee just cleaned the floors," she turned and left the room, leaving the girl to stand in the silence of her own thoughts.

* * *

Colleen quickly packed all her things into her school bag in an attempt to catch up with Peter and Ned. It had been a couple days since her first steps into Midtown and she had already sat alone at every lunch period. The problem wasn't that nobody had invited her, it was the fact that she wanted to remain under the radar, contrary to her rather overt guardian. But, she didn't want to face high school alone either. Flash had made a few attempts already to seat her at his table, but she had politely, and awkwardly, declined. Instead, she had hoped that she would be able to sit with the two she met on her first day. But every time she stepped into the lunch room, the pressure was too much. It was always loud and crowded, and she much preferred her peace and quiet. Her eyes couldn't scan the lunch room fast enough before people started noticing how she was stood frozen by the end of the lunch line. Her knuckles would be white with how hard she gripped the lunch tray. Before any could start talking about her, she would dip out of their line of sight and resign for a small empty table at the corner of the cafeteria. Tony would die laughing if he found out how the kid he helped raise was dreadfully awkward around people her own age.

"Hey, guys, wait!" she called out to the two. Peter turned around, a curious look on his face, and nearly stumbled into a passing student. It wasn't every day that a girl would be running up to catch up with them. She slowed down as she reached Ned's side and fell in step. "Sorry, about that. I was wondering if I could take you guys up on your offer," she gave them a small, hopeful smile, clutching her books closer to her chest.

"About lunch?" Ned's eyes lit up. "Peter, this is totally what w-," Ned started but Peter quickly gave him a look. "Oh, yeah," Ned nodded in realization before grinning knowingly at Colleen.

"I-It's cool. Yeah, totally cool," Peter gave her a strained smile after nudging Ned. "We'll show you the table," he quickened his pace to the cafeteria. Ned started to ask her about her first couple days and her overall experience. They talked quietly with Peter in the lead until they reached the lunch table. Peter and Ned quickly sat down beside each other while Colleen sat opposite of them.

"You were right. This is a lot of table space," she agreed, pulling out her lunch box after digging around in her backpack. Steve had told her last night that he would pack her lunch for the day and she was grateful. It wasn't often that the members of the Avengers had spare time and the help doubled as an excuse for her not to buy lunch at school. But, despite his sweet nature, she wondered if he had an ulterior motive, like getting out of training with Natasha. Her training schedules were just exhausting, sometimes even for the Super Soldier. She internally shrugged as she unzipped the top. Well, whatever works, because Tony was right about one thing, to say that school lunch was subpar would be an overstatement. Colleen dipped her hand into the bag to pull out her entrée when her hand brushed against a piece of paper. There was a note just under the lip of the inside flap.

 _Colleen,_

 _I borrowed some food from the trainee's morning potluck. I know pancakes are your favorite. Don't forget to eat your fruits. It's good for you._

 _-SR_

She quickly pocketed the note, pulling it out of Ned's prying eyes.

"You still get notes in your lunch, huh?" Ned asked. He began digging into his chicken tenders. Colleen stiffened. "No, no, it's cool, right Peter?" The teen looked wide-eyed from Colleen to Ned.

"Yeah, yeah, totally," Peter nodded frantically.

"I mean, Peter gets them, too, sometimes from his Aunt," Ned spilled before Peter was able to take the first bite of his sandwich. Colleen was just pulling out a Ziploc bag of grapes when he spoke. She tried not to smile but failed miserably.

"Seriously?" Peter squeaked. He stared accusingly at his friend. "I-I do not get lunch notes from her."

"That's because he doesn't bring lunch anymore, and he doesn't bring lunch because she-," Ned tried to speak but Colleen's abrupt laugh caught him off-guard. Ned and Peter looked at each other before looking at the humored girl in front of them. She had a hand over her mouth and her eyes closed as she continued to giggle.

"Y-you guys-," she paused to breath and wipe a tear from her eye. "You guys are hilarious." Ned quickly beamed at the compliment while Peter's face flushed pink. "I should sit with you two more often," she popped the lid off her Tupperware and began eating her pancakes.

"Th-that'd be aweso-, I mean nice. That would be nice," Peter nodded before poking at his own lunch, his face still tinged pink.

"Yeah, oh, are you into Star Wars? Because that would up your cool factor by 2," Ned smiled. "And I'm asking because there's this insane Lego Death Star that I've been looking into. It's kind of expensive but super awesome. It's the 10188 model with 3,803 pieces," he began rambling. "You can reenact almost every scene that took place in the Death Star in A New Hope and the Return of the Jedi." As Ned continued, Colleen looked up from her pancakes to give Peter a knowing smile, and they both just ate in silence as the Star Wars enthusiast ranted on.


	3. Chapter 3: Meat Mush

_Thank you for all the love and reviews. Enjoy!_

* * *

A month and a half had gone by since Peter, Ned, and Colleen's first lunch together. Colleen was assimilating into the new school environment well and most people paid her no mind. Flash, as of late, had calmed down on his advances but would always try to woo her at the most inconvenient of times. He always managed to find her when she was hanging out with Ned and Peter and would proceed to throw insults at the latter while she was present. It didn't really help his case with the girl and Colleen declined his invitation to date him every time. She would watch as he sauntered off, a breath of relief for her companions. Then they would continue with their day, doing what geeky teens do, or as Tony would like to call it, "useless millennial things."

Back at the facility, Natasha had eased up on the lectures and had found her schooling progress satisfactory. Though, Colleen was certain that Natasha backing off was just the result of her attention becoming increasingly more devoted to the Avengers's training. Sam had taken over with making her lunch, finding her embarrassment hilarious after she complained to Steve about the note in her bag. And Tony had given her a couple of "check-up" calls. With everything going on, she wasn't able to see him. He was still trying to get the Tower set up for Stark Industries as well as manage the upkeep of the new facility. Colleen also knew that he was mentally occupied with the recent split between himself and Pepper. With Tony's time allocated elsewhere, they decided to take a break in their relationship. To say Colleen was disappointed in him was an understatement. Pepper had always been a large role model in her life. Though Pepper didn't treat her like a daughter, she often played the role of an older sister or an advisor. Colleen loved her like family and she always wished that Tony would just drop to his knee and get it over with. Unfortunately, he takes his own sweet time and does things at his own pace. No amount of humming "Here Comes the Bride" and sending him pictures of viable wedding venues would change his mind. But she knew that one day, he would, and she would be there, fingers crossed.

Currently, she was sitting at lunch with the boys on a rainy Tuesday afternoon.

"So, where do you live?" Ned asked through a mouthful of pepperoni pizza. "If it's okay to ask. Peter and I go to each other's places a lot, so we were just curious," he wiped his mouth with a napkin before taking a sip from his carton of chocolate milk. The three had just settled down after discussing the latest math test and their possible grades.

"Live, right," Colleen took a sharp intake of breath. She had been dreading the moment where the questions would start pouring in. Most of her personal life had been kept private. It wasn't exactly the best idea to announce that she lived in the Avengers Facility under the careful watch of Black Widow and Captain America. That would open a whole host of problems including explaining how she came under the guardianship of none other than Tony Stark. In addition, it was pretty much assumed that Tony wanted her kept under wraps, especially since the uproar about the Battle of Sokovia was still dying down. The political climate was way too hot after that battle and the one a couple years back with the Chitauri. The others worried about how she would be perceived and treated by her peers if they found out about their connection. Thankfully, none of the other students knew of her improbable origins. "It's a bit complicated," she muttered, poking at her chicken salad.

"Oh, we didn't mean to pry. It's just that we were curious one night and we were talking about how we never heard you talk about your family, you know? Like, we haven't even seen pictures or anything-," Ned started ranting but a quick nudge from Peter stopped him in his tracks. The latter was staring worriedly at the seemingly conflicted girl. She was fiddling with her plastic fork, her eyes unfocused before looking up.

"That's also quite complicated," she gave them a strained smile. "It's better that you guys don't know," she added. The remainder of lunch was quiet. The three ate awkwardly with the occasional word from Ned about how his savings from the Star Wars model was coming along. When the lunch bell rang, Colleen quickly packed up the remains of her lunch and got up. "Sorry about that. Maybe I'll get to tell you guys soon," she ran a hand through her hair, letting some of the strands settle behind her ears. "I'm going to head off for now but I'll see you guys tomorrow? And don't you guys even think about tailing me home," she joked. "I'll know about it." She gathered her books and left for her afternoon classes. Peter stared after her. What was she hiding? It wasn't that he didn't trust her but there had to be a reason for all the secrecy. He wondered if she was in trouble with her family or maybe she was being abused at home? His train of thought was interrupted when Ned turned to look at him.

"Should we follow her after school?"

"No, Ned!"

* * *

Colleen fell back onto her bed, her phone in hand. She had rushed home, hoping that Ned and Peter weren't tailing her and nearly tripped into a puddle of water. With the help of her abilities, she was able to stabilize her imbalance. After a quick look around to ensure that no one had seen her, she continued home. Her beating heart was finally calmed when she made it onto the facility's property. She was currently browsing through Youtube when something caught her eye. She read the title of the trending video, "New Superhero Stops Car from Bus Collision with Bare Hands!", before tapping on it. The blonde flipped over so that she was laying on her stomach as the video loaded up. It opened with a black car barreling down the road and a guy in red and blue swinging in frame. Her eyes widened, and she quickly started the video over again to take a closer look. The guy had on a hoodie and goggles and was hanging from some sort of thread. She couldn't tell because the resolution from the video wasn't that great. The video continued, and Colleen watched as he fell right in between the car and a passing bus. The back of the car lifted off the ground at the sudden change in acceleration and was unceremoniously dropped back onto the ground. The video clip ended with the guy jumping incredibly high out of frame. The teen blinked, stunned. A new super hero? She scrambled out of bed and threw open the door.

"Steve!" She looked towards his room, but the door remained shut. She quickly went over and placed her ear against it. Hearing nothing, she ran down the hall only to be stopped by Vision. He had phased through the wall to her left. Collen screamed at the sudden appearance and stumbled back.

"Vision, what have we said about doing that?" She held a hand to her heart.

"I have been instructed to keep you here," Vision responded, ignoring her question.

"It's Tuesday, there's no where to go but here," she replied as she tried to pass him. He held out a hand to grip her shoulder lightly, stopping her. "They're gone, aren't they?" She looked up at him, staring worriedly into his green eyes.

"Tony's request."

* * *

"Ms. Halford, it is advised that you take a seat. Mr. Stark will not be done with his meeting for another 10 minutes." F.R.I.D.A.Y. came through the ceiling speakers of the Avengers Tower. The blonde was currently pacing the area right outside the meeting room. Her hair had been done up in a loose bun and it bounced with every step. She had managed to escape the facility through the window in her room. Sometimes, it paid to have some extra abilities. When she made contact with the ground, she was able to skirt around the facility to the front, where a couple recruits were preparing a trip to Brooklyn. Thankfully, the recruits were not informed of her sudden captivity and were happy to give her a ride.

"It must be important. Usually, he can't stand more than 5 minutes in there with other suits," Colleen frowned, plopping herself down on a chair. She eyed the door, which remained shut, despite her impatience.

"You seem agitated Ms. Halford, may I ask why?" the system spoke. Colleen still wasn't used to the change from J.A.R.V.I.S. to F.R.I.D.A.Y. She honestly missed the old AI, having grown up with its familiar male English cadence. Maybe Tony could program a similar one for her for nostalgia's sake. The teen contemplated for a moment before replying.

"Everyone's gone. Steve, Natasha, Sam, and Wanda, they're all gone. And I know this means that they're on a mission, but I don't know where or what for. Tony even asked Vision to keep me from finding them and finding out." She paused, unsure of what to say next. "And there's this new hero in town. I know Tony knows about whoever they are, but he hasn't said a word about it either. I always thought I was in the loop with these things even if I wasn't allowed to actually fight," she ran a couple fingers through her hair. "And now it's Sokovia all over again. People are going to die, aren't they? If it's not one of us, it's one of them, or the innocents. And the hero, what if Tony had inducted him into Avengers without me knowing? Can you imagine, new guy just strolling down the hallway at the facility in the whole red-blue get up and I'd be at a lost. What if I thought he was some sort of intruder?" She rambled.

"I think you are overcalculating, Ms. Halford. I'm sure the boss has his reasons," the system replied.

"He always has his reasons," she quoted the last word with bunny ear fingers. She took a breath before settling into her chair in defeat. "I just wish he would see me more of an adult, you know?" She turned her body so she could swing her legs over the edge of the right arm rest. Her head nestled into the crook of the other arm rest. She stared at the smooth ceiling. "I've always wanted to be part of his world."

"You are," F.R.I.D.A.Y. comforted her.

"The other part - the Avengers part. I never get to do anything cool or go on any missions. Always stuck in my room, watching them fight on T.V. I don't even know if they're okay until they come home, bruised and battered." She sighed. "It's frustrating to sit and do nothing while they're out saving the world. They worry me. He worries me," the young girl admitted. The AI remained quiet, letting her mull over her thoughts. All she could hear was the soft undistinguishable murmurs from the room over. She sniffled, a tear escaping her eyes. "Do you think he would ever let me call him "Dad", F.R.I.D.A.Y.?" she asked quietly. She wiped the lonely tear with the back of her sleeve.

"I'm sure the boss would like that, Ms. Halford," the system responded. They fell into silence once more before Colleen plucked up enough courage to pipe up again.

"I guess I just wish he would trust me more."

"I do trust you," a voice responded. Colleen nearly fell out of her chair. She repositioned herself in the chair, brushing her hair back into place.

"Tony! I didn't hear the door," she said, clasping and resting her hands on her lap. When he wasn't looking, she quickly dried the remnants of her tears. Her eyes followed the men and women who streamed out of the room, briefcases in hand. They barely acknowledged her as they headed to the elevator.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y., make sure that they actually make it out the front door this time. No snooping. I don't want a repeat of the New Year's towel boy," Tony sniffed, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He let out a sigh once they left the vicinity. "Honestly, each and every one of them has all the personality of a dial tone." He turned to look at Colleen afterwards. "What are you doing here?"

"I missed you?" Colleen responded while scrunching up her nose.

"We both know that's not true," he waved, indicating for her to follow. She quickly got up and fell in step beside him. "So, out with it. You aren't dating, are you?" he looked at her from the corner of his eyes.

"No!" Colleen sputtered, her face flushing red.

"Blonde hair, brown eyes," the man started listing off. "About yay-high?" he asked, motioning to an area a few inches above Colleen's own height. "No? It was a good guess though, right?"

"What?" Colleen blinked before shaking her head. "That's not why I'm here," she tried to change the subject. They entered a living space filled with a couple couches, a coffee table, and some other amenities. There was a bar and a few stools in the corner and a pool table beside it. The north faced walls were ceiling high windows that overlooked the Manhattan area.

"I better meet him," Tony walked over to the couch and sat down. He crossed his right leg over left and let his arms rest on the back. He was currently wearing a dark blue suit paired with a light maroon tie and a white dress shirt. A pair of lightly tinted sunglasses rested on his face. He motioned for her to take a seat. "Not really sure about the whole awkward father talk post-intimidation but I'll make it work."

"Not likely," Colleen quickly responded before sitting down on the opposite end of the couch. "Tony, where are they?" Colleen asked. "You know what I'm talking about. I come home to Vision attempting to stop me from finding Steve. I've been kept in the dark till now. Where are they?" He continued to ignore her, fiddling with documents on his phone. She reached up to grab his arm. His fingers slowed to a stop. "What's happened?" she looked up at him. It wasn't often that Tony showed emotion and it was even harder to see. But, having lived with him so long, Colleen could pick up on the small quirks he had, especially when he was stressed out. He stared at her long and hard, his eyes steeling over. Something must have happened while he was giving his speech at MIT earlier in the day.

"My lips are sealed," Tony said simply. He turned his head to look out the windows. "I love this view."

"Come on, please, for me?" Colleen begged, pocketing the phone. His eyes flickered back over to her. She pulled out the puppy dog eyes, hoping that he'd fall for it.

"They're in Lagos. And just for the record, that," he motioned to her face, "has not worked since you were 9." A hint of a smile graced her lips as he continued. "They're looking for an ex-Hydra agent. They'll be back in the morning."

"Okay, okay," Colleen nodded. This was more information than she had hoped for. "And what about this?" She pulled out her phone and gave the screen a few swipes. She scooted closer to show him the video of the bus-saving hero. "Who is this?" He watched the playback for a few seconds.

"That just released today," he pointed out.

"It's already trending," she backed to the previous page to show him where she found it.

"Millenials," Tony rolled his eyes. "What makes you think I know who it is?"

"You're Tony Stark."

"Good point. I've done my research. It's on a strictly need-to-know basis. And you, kid, do not need to know. And shouldn't you be in bed soon, it's a school night," he raised a finger, as if he had to rack his brain for the information.

"Has that ever stopped me before?" Colleen mumbled, raising a brow.

"You were homeschooled. Your bedroom was literally down the hall." Tony uncrossed his legs and pulled out his phone. He started playing on it, pulling up random hologram articles and images.

"Well, I literally just got here." She tried to make a swipe at his phone, but he quickly pulled it out of reach.

"And now you're leaving," Tony shooed her away. She stared at him stubbornly. "Look, kid. There's a lot going on right now, business and Avengers. I'd really appreciate it if we, maybe, discussed this another time." Colleen gave him a look before rolling her eyes. It was always this way with him.

"It better be later this week. I had to eat meat mush on my first day of school for you." They both visibly shuddered.

"Mental images, kid," Tony held up his hand to stop her.

"It went in my mouth," Colleen crossed her arms defiantly.

"Alright, later, later," Tony threw his arms up in exasperation. "Now, off you go. I'll have F.R.I.D.A.Y. get a car ready." Colleen smiled before standing up. This was completely a win in her book. She began walking towards the elevator. "Oh, and tell the old man that we need to have a talk."

"Your phone's literally in your hands, Tony," she pointed out. The elevator doors slid open for her.

Tony groaned. "Always making me put in effort." With a wave of his hand, he had the phone project its screen in mid-air. He opened his contacts list as Colleen stepped into the elevator. "Don't forget homework!"

"I've already done it," Colleen called back before the doors slid shut.

"Momentary lapse in memory. Forgot that I raised you," Tony mumbled to himself as he waited for the call to connect. "I really hope that Capsicle remembers how to use his phone."


	4. Chapter 4: Coffee

_Thank you for your patience and support. Here, in this chapter, we'll be touching on the beginnings of the movie, Captain America: Civil War. Enjoy._

* * *

Colleen and Tony were walking down a tight hallway. Rookies were running past, though some slowed to eye the pair. It was becoming increasingly common to catch sight of the head of Stark Industries as of late, but still rare. They were currently in the Avengers Facility, heading to one of the numerous conference rooms. Tony had arrived on site a couple minutes ago and Colleen had managed to find him among all the hubbub. She had been vying for his attention, hoping to dwindle his patience down enough to let her in the "need-to-know." "Do not do this to me, not now. I've been watching the news and I know things are not on the up and up." He continued to ignore her, fiddling with articles on his phone. He really loved that thing. Clips of the battle in Sokovia flew by as he flipped from page to page. She quickened her pace so that she could stop in front of him. "Tony," she started. He swerved around her, but as he did, she quickly swiped the device out of his hand. The hologram immediately disappeared from the air. "Don't even think about it," she pocketed the phone when she saw him reach for it. He almost pouted.

"Alright," he sighed before quickly mumbling "kids" to himself. "The Secretary of State is coming," he walked past her. She quickly followed. "He wants to meet with us." He shoved his hands in the pocket of his dark suit pants.

"What for?" she asked quietly.

"I have an idea," he murmured, turning the corner. There were some suits standing outside a conference room's door, guarding it. Their stance didn't change as Colleen and Tony approached. "Boys," he nodded, before quickly dipping into the room. Colleen squeezed past just before the doors closed.

"Guards? Huh, nice touch," Colleen commented before taking in the interior of the room. She had been here a couple of times before in her explorations.

"No, bad idea," he started, turning around to the sound of her voice. She had already taken a seat on an orange couch, opposite of the table. There was a lone-standing piece of glass, the meeting monitor, with the Avenger's logo etched into it between her and where all the members would sit. Three chairs lined each side of the table and two sets, consisting of a water pitcher and glasses, rested on top. A couple of chairs were strewn about behind the set-up. A line of short railings replaced the northern wall. Behind the couch was a fully kitted out kitchen with an expensive coffee machine and the newest of appliances. There was even a dainty, picturesque bowl of fruit sitting on a counter. "The press would have a field day if he decides to mention you outside of this building," he crossed his arms.

"Do you know how many people see me every day?" Colleen looked up at him. "So many that I can't even count. They are bound to find out soon, and you know it, especially since you've sent me to Midtown, which was absolutely lovely, by the way," she gave him a strained smile. "Thank you for that." She nodded towards him as she got comfortable. "I don't even know how you've managed to keep me hidden so long. I wonder, do you pay them all off? It's definitely not the intimidation factor. Actually, I'm not going to question it. Just like how you're not going to question me about this decision."

"Fine, but no talking during the meeting. Just listen. And by the way, I'm the parent, so I get to make all the calls."

"You have me doubting that most of the time," she retorted as Vision phased into view. Her attention quickly turned towards the male. He was wearing a dark sweater and matching pants. The collar of a white dress shirt peaked behind the v-line of the garment.

"The others will be arriving promptly," the android took the middle seat on one side of the table. Tony nodded in thanks and proceeded to head towards the table. Instead of taking a seat, he swerved to the side to lean on the railing. He peaked down below for a moment before looking back at her. "Fine, we'll play by your rules today."

"Don't you mean, every day?" she said cheekily, pulling out his phone from her pocket. She waved it teasingly in the air before lightly tossing it over. Its trajectory didn't follow the laws of physics like it should've. Instead, it seemed to catch itself on the way down before floating over to Tony's waiting hand.

"We still need to talk about that," he stated as he took the device back, shooting her a finger gun in the process.

"We've talked about it all my life," Colleen mumbled. She kicked off her shoes to pull her legs up on the couch with her. The smooth leather material was cool against her skin.

"Well, if you want to sit at the adult's table, we'll need to have a serious conversation about the whole embodiment of renewable energy thing. Ah-Steve, Wanda, don't be shy," Tony looked up towards the pair that appeared in the doorway. They shuffled in, both dressed in their comfort-casual attire. "Take a seat at the table. It's like kindergarten all over again," the billionaire joked. Wanda gave a small smile despite seeming quite anxious. She sat down next to Vision. Steve gave Tony a nod before taking a seat on the other side of the two, towards the back. He raised an eyebrow when he caught sight of Colleen on the couch, across the room. "Yeah, don't worry about Pipsqueak, she's cleared for this one," Tony answered Steve's building question before he was able to say it. "Figured it was time. Baby bird's got to fly at some point, right?"

"I hope you mean metaphorically, because I still haven't figured out how to do that quite yet," Colleen piped up from her spot. She was mindlessly poking the couch as she waited for the meeting to adjourn.

"Maybe Tony can build you a suit to help you out," Sam smiled as he walked in, Rhodey trailing in behind him. Sam took the last chair beside Vision while Rhodey sat across from Wanda. That left one seat open between the American hero and War Machine. "Not a bad idea, right?"

"Maybe," Tony agreed. "Is she usually late?" his eyes stared pointedly at the door.

"Natasha?" Steve asked.

"No, the Queen of England," Tony rolled his eyes. His attention was suddenly diverted when a man walked in, followed by a guard. He seemed to be in his later years with his graying hair and mustache. He was wearing a simple navy-blue two-piece suit with a dark red and blue tie to match. His eyes carried determination but was laced with the weary years and past hardships of a retired soldier. Walking in with a confident stride, he stopped at the head of the table where he proceeded to analyze those seated.

"Stark," he acknowledged with a nod.

"Ross," Tony replied simply.

"This is a nice facility," the Secretary of State complimented.

"I know," Tony headed to the back of the room to sit down. He didn't sit with the others at the table. There was a moment of silence.

"Sorry about that," Natasha snuck in and closed the door behind her. She gave a polite smile to the guest in the room. "Had to break up a fight," she took the last available seat.

"A fight?" Ross asked incredulously.

"Friendly in nature," Natasha responded with a small smile.

"Did they break anything?" Tony asked, ignoring the man. The red-haired assassin shook her head no. "Good," he finished.

"Well," Ross cleared his throat, seeing that the quick conversation was over. "Let's begin the meeting, shall we?" He smiled at the Avengers in the room. The Avengers only gave him solemn looks in return, his presence did not bode well. Colleen observed from the couch. It was unclear whether the Secretary of State knew she was there or not since he had yet to turn towards her, but, for now, she would work with that. This was her first Avengers meeting and she didn't want to risk getting kicked out. Tony waved his hand for Ross to begin.

"Five years ago," Ross sighed. He clasped his hands together into a fist in front of him, like he was holding something. Colleen tried to get a good look at what he was doing but could only see the side of his hands. "I had a heart attack." The teen watched as he got into a golfing position, his hands drawn up high near his head. "And dropped, right in the middle of my backswing." He let his hands fall and stepped forward to rest them on the edge of the table. He let the opening words sink in for a second. Colleen wasn't sure where he was going. Straightening up, he continued, "Turned out, it was the best round of my life." Wanda crossed her arms and leaned back against her chair. He had the sole attention of everyone in the room, which some would call an honor. "Because after 13 hours of surgery and a triple bypass, I found something that 40 years in the army had never taught me." He paused for a moment, looking at Tony. "Perspective." Colleen watched as her guardian began fidgeting with his suit cuff. In the silence, Tony slowed to a stop and let his hand rest on the opposite wrist. Colleen's brow furrowed at his behavior. He seemed off and curiously enough, he's been that way for the last month or so. She had inquired about his situation multiple times, but he had yet to open up to her. "The world owes the Avengers an unpayable debt. You have fought for us, protected us, risked your lives. But while a great many people see you as heroes, there are some that would prefer the word "vigilantes."" He nodded, acknowledging what most of those in the room already knew. The news was drowning in "hero vs. villain" stories and the Avengers were under the spotlight. Many didn't know who to turn to when it came to city repairs for the damage battles have caused. Others were still stricken with grief over lost loved ones, the ones who ended up as a mere statistic of war.

"What word would you use, Mr. Secretary?" Natasha asked with a curious look. The others remained quiet, mulling over their thoughts. None were too ecstatic when it came to that double-edged sword of their duties.

"How about "dangerous?"" Ross responded without missing a beat. Wanda seemed to shrink into her chair. Colleen watched as she tried to seemingly disappear from the meeting. She knew the telekinetic was reliving the memories of the recent incursion in Sokovia. It had been on her mind ever since it happened, and despite what the others do to try and keep her mind off it, she would always fall back into her thoughts. Steve had told Colleen at one point that it is an experience everyone goes through in the field. The teen didn't want to believe that was true, knowing that one day, it would be her turn. "What would you call a group of US-based, enhanced individuals who routinely ignore sovereign borders and inflict their will wherever they choose," Ross asked. Steve's eyes met Colleen's for a second before dropping to his lap. "And who, frankly, seem unconcerned about what they leave behind?" Colleen was about to say something, despite her unknown presence, but a look from Tony quickly denied those plans. She was to keep quiet while the Secretary of State was here. Ross moved to the side, and suddenly her view of the table was obstructed. The Secretary had pulled up a map of the world on the glass monitor, causing the once clear screen to become translucent. She could only make out their figures from where she sat. Wanting to be more included, the blonde pulled herself off the couch and began walking towards the other side of the room. "New York," Ross said quietly, lowering his head. The map zoomed into the city's location and faded into the videos taken years ago. People were running away in terror while buildings collapsed. Soldiers were fighting against the Chitauri while Avengers ran wild, trying to contain the invasion. Rhodey's eyes were downcast as the videos continued. It was a hard thing to experience and even a harder thing to watch. Colleen was quick to sit down near Tony as Ross continued. "Washington, D.C." More footage was brought up of burning buildings and a fallen helicarrier. The somber atmosphere began to deepen as civilians were shown dying by the aftermath. "Sokovia." It was clear, by now, what message Ross was trying to send. Most of his presentation consisted of the damage and destruction the Avengers caused to infrastructure and the people. "Lagos."

"Okay, that's enough," Steve said calmly, eyeing a crestfallen Wanda. She had turned away after watching the building she destroyed go up in flames. Ross quickly nodded to the guard beside him and the monitor shut off. It was eerily silent for a moment as everyone was reminded that despite their heroic actions, many suffered in the wake of their victories.

"For the past four years, you've operated with unlimited power and no supervision." Colleen perked up. This was sure to be what the Secretary actually came here for. "That's an arrangement that the governments of the world can no longer tolerate." He emphasized the last few words. "But I think we have a solution." The guard handed him a rather thick book with a blue spine and a plain white cover. Ross gratefully accepted it before laying it gently on the table and sliding it over to Wanda. "The Sokovia Accords." The Sokovian gripped the booklet in her hands, scanning the front. The teen couldn't read the font from where she sat. "Approved by 117 countries, it states that the Avengers shall no longer be a-," Ross began to walk slowly around the table. Wanda slid the bound pages over to Rhodey to examine. "Private organization." Rhodey looked up in surprise at Ross's words. Natasha's face was scrunched up as he continued, her brows furrowed. "Instead, they'll operate under the supervision of a United Nations panel, only when and if that panel deems it necessary." Colleen was still processing the magnitude of this information when Steve began to speak. Could this really happen to them? There would be no way the Avengers could do what they needed to do, in the time needed to do it, if there was a whole room of people arguing over whether or not they could even attempt a plan of action.

"The Avengers were formed to make the world a safer place. I feel we've done that." The super soldier looked up as Ross rounded the back end of the table.

"Tell me, Captain, do you know where Thor and Banner are right now?" Steve remained silent. Banner was still missing after the defeat of Ultron and the god hadn't made contact after leaving to find the other infinity stones. To say the Avengers were worried and concerned about them would be an understatement, and the fact that Ross brought it up was a slap to the face. "If I misplaced a couple of 30 megaton nukes, you can bet there'd be consequences." Everyone continued to stay quiet as Ross spoke. "Compromise. Reassurance. That's how the world works. Believe me, this is the middle ground." He pointed towards the lengthy document.

"So, there are contingencies." Rhodey spoke with a hint of caution. He placed his hand on top of the book, inching it closer. Colleen stared at it, wishing it would disappear.

"Three days from now, the UN meets in Vienna to ratify the Accords." Steve turned to look at Tony after hearing the news. "Talk it over," Ross eyed the pair.

"And if we come to a decision that you don't like?" Natasha tested when she noticed the Secretary of State and his guard beginning to leave. The others waited with bated breath.

"Then you retire," Ross replied. As if it could ever be that simple.


	5. Chapter 5: Popcorn

_Apologies for the wait. I've been quite busy being dragged along to every holiday outing under the sun. Regardless, I wanted to thank each and every one of you for reading the story. It means a lot to me and I'm always so humbled by the love and support this story gets! Also, if you didn't already know, I actually post updates on my progress with this story on my profile page. That way, you guys are able to get a general idea of when new chapters will be coming out._

 _Enjoy!_

* * *

 _Two months ago. April 8th, 2016._

"So, there's a dance next year," Colleen started with a suggestive tone. She watched out of the corner of her eye as Peter tensed up. The two were walking to their next class, chemistry, with Mr. Castle, and for once, Ned was nowhere to be found. It was very possible that Ned was currently dealing with a food-coma induced hibernation because the numerous attempts to contact him in the morning proved futile. The three had spent last night at a local movie theatre, downing massive amounts of popcorn and sweets to the symphony of jump scares and screams. It had now become a routine for them- movie nights on Sundays. Much to the chagrin of their collective parental units, last night's genre was horror, and despite Colleen's brave front, she had found it difficult to hold in her sounds of terror when a ghost would pop up on screen. Even more unfortunate was the fact that Peter's "manly" image was shattered when he screamed like a girl in the first few minutes of the movie. He claimed it was the kid next to him.

"Yeah, yeah, I heard about that," Peter nodded quickly. "I mean, how can you not, right? Talk of the land, and all that," he moved his hands around as he spoke before finding comfort in rubbing the back of his neck. Even though it's been a couple months since Colleen was dropped into his life, he still found it hard to speak to her on occasion, especially about social events like the school dance. As much as he would hate to admit, he was awkward around those kinds of topics and the fact that she was a girl, a pretty one, made it that much more difficult to converse. He had been thinking about the dance for a while now, unsure of what to do. He never really considered gatherings of that nature but now that he had a female in his immediate friend group, he was concerned that she would expect him to accompany her, even as "just friends." Because by no means, was Peter Parker crushing on the chocolate eyed blonde. The thought alone was absurd. She was just like Ned- except she had beautiful hair that bounced softly when she walked and a smile that could light up the room. And don't even start on the fact that her complexion was perfect, and she never seems to have a hair out of place. She made him feel like a flustered mess. But she was definitely, one-hundred percent, without a doubt, not someone he was crushing on. Not at all. Peter flushed red at the thought.

"Hello, Earth to Peter," Colleen waved a hand in front of his face, bringing him back to the present. The teen had an eyebrow raised. "You okay? Your face is kind of red."

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking," Peter quickly responded.

"About who you're going to bring?" she asked curiously as they entered the classroom. Most of their classmates had not yet arrived, leaving only a few seats occupied by the early birds. They mostly minded their own business, listening to music or surfing the web on their phones. Mr. Castle had yet to arrive.

"No!" Peter panicked, a little too loud. The students looked up at his sudden outburst. "Sorry, sorry," he quickly apologized before rushing to his seat. He set his backpack down before sliding into the chair. Colleen quickly followed suit.

"You totally are! Come on, out with it," she prodded his arm. She quickly thanked the luck gods for placing her seat right next to his and behind Ned's. The black-top tables were double seaters and unfortunately for Peter, Mr. Castle thought it was a good idea to have a partner change for the new semester. Now he was stuck. He promptly ignored her, his face still in flames. "I bet you would totally tell Ned," she pulled her arm back. Colleen refused to make eye contact with him and decided to watch as classmates walked in instead. Abe Brown, a member of the Decathlon team, strolled in and took his seat near the front. Colleen often saw him when she stayed after school to watch Peter and Ned's decathlon meetings. He was always polite in his greetings and Colleen found his interjections, although few and far between, humorous.

"You know that's not true. He can't keep a secret." Peter tried to rectify the situation. He scanned her face and looked down when she turned.

"But why does it have to be a secret? Aren't we friends? We should be past that by now." She scrunched her nose. Peter grimaced when he realized he was unsure of how to answer her. After a moment of silence, Colleen turned to face the front of the classroom once more. "I read a quote from somewhere," she started. "The more secrets you keep, the less opportunity you have for real intimacy." Peter nearly choked, and she blanched as the realization of her own words dawned on her. "As friends! Intimacy in a friendly relationship." Her face immediately flushed. Peter just continued to stare wide-eyed at her, his face covered in rose. Colleen's head was filled with thoughts running a mile a minute. There was no way that she just said that in front of Peter. Her heart was pounding, and she felt like she was going to be sick. Where the heck was Ned?

"Drama, I love it." A voice pulled the two's attention away from the situation at hand. A girl wearing a dark olive jacket stood in front of their desk, a small knowing smirk gracing her lips. She seemed too entirely content with the scene in front of her. Colleen had seen her around school often and they even shared some classes, but they had never once spoken. She had once asked Ned for the girl's name but even he didn't know, and he prided himself in knowing everyone at school. Her ability to evade everyone's radars far surpassed Colleen's ability to hide herself. She looked from Peter to Colleen before heading to the back of the class. Just then, Ned walked in. Peter perked up at the sight of his best friend.

"Sorry guys, I wasn't feeling well," he started, sitting in the seat in front of Colleen. Poor Ned had the luxury of sitting next to Summer Amour, the self-proclaimed "Princess of the 21st Century, Second to Beyonce and Maybe the Kardashians But Not Really." She often bragged about her parent's fortune and her elite French family origins which, as she states, should be obvious from her surname. Unfortunately for most, despite her arrogance and disregard of social appropriateness, she was very intelligent. So much so, that it was hard to even argue her position in Midtown. However, that didn't stop the trio from thinking she was a poisoned thorn in their side. Thankfully, she was more focused on showing off her new gel nails to the girl one table over, than to say something snarky towards Ned's flustered arrival. "I was going to call in sick, but I ended up feeling better," he smiled. "A little too much buttered popcorn, if you know what I mean. So, what did I miss?" His friends stared at each other before both throwing him wavering smiles.

"Nothing," they chorused. Ned raised a brow, unimpressed with their random change in behavior. Luckily for them, Mr. Castle walked in just after. Ned turned away from the two after giving them both a look.

"I know all of you are eager to start off your day right with a daily dose of chemistry, but there's something I need to address before we begin," the teacher started. He stroked his graying mustache for a moment as he shifted through some of his notes. "Starting tomorrow, we will begin a group project," he announced. Immediately, the class erupted into whispers. Most were already trying to align themselves with potential partners. "Yes, yes, quiet down," Mr. Castle instructed. He reached down to pull a stack of papers from his bag. "You will assign your own groups, no more than 4 each." He began passing portions of the stack to the head of each table row. In turn, the students would take one and pass the rest backwards. "As a group, you will be researching a topic and conducting your own experiments. Topics must either be on this list or approved by me." The teacher motioned to the large list on the back of the page. Once Colleen was able to grab a piece of paper, she began to scan the written instructions. Mr. Castle returned to his desk at the front of the room. "The deadline for the topic decision is on Friday, so that leaves you with 4 days. I will have the sign-up sheet on my desk every morning for groups that are ready to move on to research." At this point, most of the teens had already drowned out his voice.

"So, obviously, we're working together right?" Ned turned around. Colleen immediately nodded.

"I'm actually pretty excited about this," she brushed a rogue hair out of her face. "There's a lot of freedom on what we can actually do. Tony would actually be quite surprise-," Colleen's eyes widened at her slip-up.

"Tony?" Peter questioned. "Who's that?"

"M-my dog!" she quickly fished for an answer. She put on a semi-convincing smile and nodded, "Yep, you guys caught me. I have a dog named Tony," she gave an awkward smile. "He's the best."

"Oh really? What kind is he?" Ned looked over at her excitedly.

"Uh, a husky?" she grimaced.

"You named a husky, Tony?" Peter laughed.

"Yep," Colleen shrunk in her chair. Her story was getting more and more ridiculous by the second.

"That's cool. I could never get a dog because my parents think they're dirty and Peter's aunt won't let him have one because she's busy with work. She doesn't think Peter can take care of it himself." Ned explained. "I know you said that you want to keep your private life…private, but I would totally love to meet your dog," he begged.

"Me, too," Peter smiled kindly.

"Aha, one day, yeah sure," Colleen nodded. She was screaming internally. There was no way Tony would ever let her get a dog, at least, not while she still lives under his roof. She had tried numerous times to obtain a variety of animals but was shut down every time. He always claimed that she had better things to do with her time and taking care of another living being was not something she could afford to do at her age. "So, about the project," she started, trying to move the conversation away from her imaginary pet. "I was thinking we could-."

"We could totally research and do the experiments at your house. It's probably way bigger that our apartments, right Peter?" Ned quickly cut her off. He beamed at her after winking at his best friend.

"And there's Tony," Peter suggested.

"And there's Tony," Ned confirmed.

Oh god. The real Tony was going to kill her.


	6. Chapter 6: Fruit Basket

_I'm so sorry for the long wait. College really took its toll in the last couple months and despite my promises, I could not deliver. I have my finals in two weeks, but after that I'll be on summer break. That means, I should be able to have way more free time on my hands! As always, you can find my progress on the story on my profile page. I will try to keep that updated as much as possible._

 _Thank you guys for sticking with this story. Much love!_

* * *

"This is totally ridiculous!" Sam shouted, throwing his hands up in the air. Colleen could feel his anger rolling off him in angry tidal waves. The moment that Ross left, Sam had marched over to the attached kitchen and poured himself a drink. He downed the glass in one shot before turning to the rest of the Avengers to gauge their reactions. Steve remained stone-faced, but he could tell that the super soldier was displeased with the news. Then again, no one seemed particularly happy about the sudden intrusion at their doorstep. Tony was rubbing his forehead while Rhodey was flipping through the Sokovia Accords. Natasha was staring solemnly at the table while Colleen was fiddling nervously with her thumbs. The others seemed to be frozen in the silence left in Ross's wake. "None of you are actually okay with this, right?"

"What choice do we actually have?" Rhodey mumbled as he scanned a page. The words slowly seared themselves into his brain. "Practically the whole world, or at least, the leaders of it, finds it a necessity to keep us in-line. What does that say about our past actions?" He continued browsing the document detailing protocols and contingencies. "This isn't a game, Sam."

"No one says it is," Colleen spoke quietly. "Both of you are right. The Avengers give up their liberty when that document is signed at the expense of cooperation and reassurance to those 117 countries. This act of power cannot simply be brushed off, but at the same time, how many lives would that cost the Avengers? If we don't have the freedom to act when appropriate, we won't be the ones saving the world, but the ones cleaning up after its destruction." Her words left the air heavy with doubt. It's been some time since the Avengers were under someone else's control, and even then, they had a large amount of leniency in the decisions.

"She has a point." Rhodey nodded, mulling over their current options.

"Oh yeah, let's just all listen to passive Betty over there." Sam mumbled much to the chagrin of the teen. He quickly frowned when he saw her flinch but didn't apologize for the statement. He could see Tony's hardened stare from the corner of his eyes. "I'm just saying that there seems to be no middle road here. It's either their way or no way, and that's not okay."

"We don't have much of a choice," Natasha added. Everyone turned to look at her. "If we don't sign, all eyes are on us. We won't be able to move. Even if we wanted to act, we'll be stopped at every turn. They've got us at checkmate," she sighed before leaning back into her chair. Silence fell over the room as everyone stomached the idea of losing their freedoms. Colleen lowered her head and zoned everyone out. She never expected her first Avengers meeting to be so tense. She peaked over at Tony to see him rubbing the bridge of his nose. Despite his resting face, she could feel his stress radiating off him. As a child, she had only seen him do this a couple times. Usually, he would occupy himself with his suits and channel his energy into perfecting them. Now, he just looked defeated and tired.

"Colleen," a soothing voice next to her snapped her out of her thoughts. She looked up to see Wanda standing over her. "Why don't you get comfortable? Grab a blanket and a pillow," she gave a small smile before tilting her head towards the door. "And a breath of fresh air." The teen nodded, thankful for an excuse to momentarily leave the room. She needed time to recollect her own thoughts after this news.

"I'll be back," she said quietly as she got up. Wanda gave her a reassuring nod and a gently squeeze on the shoulder before letting her go.

"We will be here, malen'ka ptashka."

* * *

Now wrapped in a blanket, Colleen opened the door to the meeting. She had taken her time while out of the room, letting the adults talk it out without her presence. While she waited, she browsed the web for all mentions of the Sokovia Accords and the political hubbub of it all. Most of the information was stuff that she already knew or kept up with. When she had entered back into the conference room, she noted that most of the members had moved to the other side of the room. Tony was reclined on a coffee colored couch, while Vision and Wanda sat on the one opposite of him. Natasha sat on the other end of Tony's couch, next to his legs. Between the two, sat Steve, the Sokovia Accords opened on his lap. Sam and Rhodey stood on either side of him, both tense and arms crossed. They seemed to be in a heated debate. A small table sat in the middle with a chessboard neatly placed on top. Colleen quietly shuffled in and gently closed the door behind her. She headed over to the group and sat herself across from Steve. Pulling her legs up against her chest, she was able to pull the blankets around her so that she was cocooned.

"Secretary Ross has a Congressional Medal of Honor – which is one more than you have," Rhodey pointed at Sam. Steve ignored the two and continued reading the booklet.

"So, let's say we agree to this thing," Sam tried to reason, ignoring the slight diss. "How long is it going to be before they LoJack us like a bunch of common criminals?"

"117 countries want to sign this," Rhodey ignored him before repeating himself. "117, Sam, and you're just like, 'No, that's cool. We got it,'" he imitated Sam.

"How long are you going to play both sides?" Sam furrowed his brow, irritated by the conversation. They both turned their heads when Vision piped up.

"I have an equation," he started.

"Oh, this will clear things up," Sam stated sarcastically. Rhodey remained silent, willing to listen to a different point of view.

"In the eight years since Mr. Stark announced himself as Iron Man, the number of known enhanced persons has grown exponentially," Vision put his fingers together lightly and let his eyes scan the crowd. Colleen pulled the blanket around herself tighter, almost like a shield. She didn't like how this speech started and was fearful of the rest. "And during the same period, the number of potentially world-ending events has risen at a commensurate rate."

"Are you saying it's our fault?" Steve looked up with raised brows.

"I'm saying there may be a causality," Vision continued, albeit cautiously. Although the Captain looked calm, he knew that the gravity of this situation affected everyone the same. "Our very strength invites challenge. Challenge incites conflict," he explained. "And conflict," he took a moment to let his words sink in. "—breeds catastrophe. Oversight. Oversight is not an idea that can be dismissed out of hand." His eyes flickered to each member in attendance.

"Boom," Rhodey added on to the end of his sentence. He threw a "I-told-you-so" face at a disgruntled Sam.

"Tony," Natasha started quietly. Tony let his hand fall from his face before opening his eyes to look at the red-headed agent. "You are being unsarcastically non-hyperverbal." She spoke as if she was talking to a child.

"It's because he's already made up his mind." Steve responded for Tony, his eyes searching for the input.

"Boy, you know me so well." Tony got up slowly. He rubbed the back of his head gingerly. "Actually, I'm nursing an electromagnetic headache," he let his hand drop as he headed to the kitchen to grab a drink. "That's what's going on, Cap. It's just pain." He grabbed himself a small baby blue mug by the sink. "It's discomfort. Who's putting coffee grounds in the disposal?" He turned around with the mug and a coffee pot, before setting it on the island. "Am I running a bed and breakfast for a biker gang?" The room remained silent before he pulled out his phone and set it quickly on the fruit basket. He tapped the screen and a holographic image popped up of a teen. Colleen watched as Tony took a deep breath before addressing the picture. "Oh, that's Charles Spencer, by the way. He's a great kid. Computer Engineering degree, 3.6 GPA, had a floor-level gig at Intel planned for the fall." Tony listed as he poured himself a cup. "But first, he wanted to put a few miles on his soul before he parked it behind a desk. See the world. Maybe be of service." Tony looked up. His hands gripped the table, turning his knuckles white. "Charlie didn't want to go to Vegas or Fort Lauderdale, which is what I would do. He didn't go to Paris or Amsterdam, which sounds fun. He decided to spend his summer building sustainable housing for the poor. Guess where? Sokovia," his voice raised until he ended with the last word. Colleen lowered her eyes from the picture, knowing that the smiling kid in the picture was no more. "He wanted to make a difference, I suppose. But I mean, we won't know, because we dropped a building on him while we were kicking ass." Tony ran a hand down his face for a moment before taking a large gulp of his coffee, washing the nerves away. He set the mug down rather loudly before walking towards the group. "There's no decision-making process here. We need to be put in check!" he crossed his arms, stating his thoughts loud and clear. "Whatever form that takes, I'm game. If we can't accept limitations, if we're boundary-less, we're no better than the bad guys."

"Tony," Steve started. "Someone dies on your watch, you don't give up."

"Who said we're giving up?" Tony quickly countered.

"We are if we're not taking responsibility for our actions. This document just shifts the blame," Steve explained.

"I'm sorry, Steve," Rhodey interjected. "That," he tried to find his words. "That is dangerously arrogant. This is the United Nations we're talking about." Steve shook his head, completely disagreeing with his words. "It's not the World Security Council, it's not S.H.I.E.L.D., it's not HYDRA."

"No," Steve interjected just the same. "But it's run by people with agendas, and agendas change."

"That's good," Tony threw himself back in. Colleen's eyes flickered around, trying to keep up while the others remained silent. "That's why I'm here. When I realized what my weapons were capable of in the wrong hands, I shut it down and stopped manufacturing," Tony took a few long strides forwards, stopping once he was next to Steve.

"Tony, you chose to do that." Steve reasoned. "If we sign this, we surrender our right to choose. What if this panel sends us somewhere we don't we should go? What if there is somewhere we need to go, and they don't let us?" Tony shook his head exasperatedly. "We may not be perfect, but the safest hands are still our own."

"If we don't do this now, it's going to be done to us later," Tony said calmly. "That's the fact. That won't be pretty." Colleen nodded to herself slowly. It made sense. If the world was already coming down on them this hard, if they don't sign and continue to act, what would happen to them then? They could all be imprisoned, or worse, killed.

"You're saying they'll come for me," Wanda clarified. Colleen's eyes shot up to look at the psionic with shock.

"We would protect you," Vision reassured.

"Maybe Tony's right," Natasha started. Tony looked at her in disbelief, having expected her to disagree with him. "If we have one hand on the wheel, we can still steer. If we take it off—"

"Aren't you the same woman who told the government to kiss her ass a few years ago?" Sam leaned forward.

"I'm just reading the terrain," Natasha defended. "We have made some very public mistakes. We need to win their trust back."

"Focus up. I'm sorry, did I just mishear you or did you agree with me," Tony asked, still in shock.

"Oh, I want to take it back now," Natasha shook her head.

"No, no, no, you can't retract it." Tony wagged his fingers. Colleen let out a muffled giggle, her blanket covering her mouth. "Thank you, unprecedented." He sent a nod in her direction. "Okay, case closed. I win," Tony returned to his usual self, one that put Colleen's worried heart at rest.

"I have to go," Steve said suddenly. He quickly threw the book at the table and left the room, phone in hand.

"Steve?" Colleen called after quietly, brows furrowed. The sinking feeling in her heart returned as she watched the Avenger leave the room in a hurry.

"He'll be fine," Tony brought her gaze back. "Whatever it is, he's strong."

* * *

 _malen'ka ptashka -_ "little bird"


	7. Chapter 7: Breathe

_Thank you for sticking with this story and welcome to all the new followers! I don't know how I feel about this chapter but I wanted to dive into a bit more of what Colleen is feeling at school. In addition, I wanted to introduce more of her powers and how it affects her. Enjoy!_

 _Also, just watched Infinity War (twice) and it has got me shook._

* * *

 _Two months ago. April 10th, 2016_

"Okay, so let me get this straight – you need a dog, a pretend home, and a new family so your little band of girl scouts won't figure out that you live in the Avenger's Facility under the care of the Earth's mightiest heroes."

"That-, yeah that sums it up pretty good," Colleen bobbed her head. Tony lowered his sunglasses some to give her an incredulous look. He was currently standing near the door of her bedroom while she sat at her desk. Papers about canine care and costs littered the table top.

"And the dog has to be named Tony?"

"Uhuh," Colleen sighed, feeling the weight of dread piling onto her shoulders.

"Right, well I'll get Happy onto- do you really think that's going to happen?" He raised his voice near the end. She could feel his disappointment rolling off him in waves. She had explained the whole situation to him regarding her new group project and her friends' eagerness to visit her humble abode. Tony had remained silent through it all until now. "I am your guardian, not your custodian. If you make a mess, you clean it up."

"Tony-," Colleen started as he turned to leave. He immediately turned back with a disapproving look.

"Nuh uh, you don't get to 'Tony' me. I told you to lie under the radar. If it that means you have to _lie_ under the radar, that's what you're going to do."

"You wanted me to be a normal kid. I can't do that when I have to hide everything about my life to everyone at school," she argued.

"It's just high school. Tell them that something came up, I don't know. Go work on your project at the park." Tony waved his hands, dismissing the thought.

"You're the one who announced that you're Iron Man to the world. You literally gave your address on the news." She leaned forward, nearly getting up from her chair to challenge him.

"And I almost got you and Pepper killed." Tony snapped at her. She crossed her arms but kept silent. "There are others who do the same and it works out just fine," Tony reasoned with her, but his words fell on deaf ears. "Other kids, your age and younger who hide their abilities for a normal life."

"I can't do that," she yelled at him. "What don't you understand?"

"Don't raise your voice at me." Tony narrowed his eyes. His usual nature dwarfed by the need to calm the teen down. He was never prepared to be a father and was never sure how to handle tantrums like this. Tony was always fortunate that Colleen was mostly calm and obedient. It usually didn't end well when she lashed out. "You're not even trying." Her brows furrowed. Anger and irritation blossomed in her chest. He didn't know how she was at school. He didn't know how much she was holding back. He was hardly even around nowadays. He left her with other people because he didn't want to deal with her. "Other people are doing it just fine" With every word he spoke, Colleen held back her tongue, feeling the anger building. It wasn't like her to bottle up her emotions, especially negative ones like this. It was part of her training to let everything out before it was uncontrollable. But the disappointment in his voice and the accusations put a cork into her thoughts. "You nearly exposed yourself. And then what? Your face will be plastered all over the news, and even I can't stop that. Do you understand that this isn't a game? Do you know how hard it is to pay off everyone that sees you? Do you understand that you're not the only enhanced person in this world, going through schooling, trying to hide their identity?" With his last sentence, she exploded. She stood up from her chair to challenge him.

"Yeah, but when they go home, they have their normal families who do normal things." She shouted. A few fat tears rolled down her face. "When I come home, I come back to this!" Collen motioned around her. A few pieces of paper on her desk slid away from her. Her bed frame seemed to tremble and the curtains behind her fluttered gently. Tony's eyes flickered around the room, feeling the sudden temperature drop. The furniture around her shook increasingly harder as every second went by.

"Colleen," he started, holding up a hand to calm her, but she was too far gone emotionally. He slowly reached down to his waist to press a small panic button on he side of his belt.

"I come back to you!" Her voice rang out simultaneously with a sudden release of her abilities. The window immediately shattered and the bed to her left flipped onto its side, away from her. The desk beside her was reduced to splinters, almost as if it was being smashed against the wall and her papers clung to the walls. Those, in turn, began to cave outward, the one facing the outside nearly coming off completely. Tony was pressed against the opposite wall, thrown back from the blast. Although he knew she, even in her distress, directed most of the blast behind her, towards the outside, he was still thrown quite harshly. Tony's face hardened watching the girl in front of her out of breath. Her shoulders were slumped, and her head bowed. He was steeling himself from displaying his emotions, steeling himself from her. "I didn't mean to do that," she mumbled quietly to herself. She could already hear the alarms of the facility going off. Then, she felt all her senses dull. She felt like she was floating in still water. It was completely dark around her and despite the panic she felt, she couldn't seem to move her body. She mentally struggled against these invisible physical restraints. Outside of her mind, her eyes had glazed over.

"We'll get your room fixed," Tony brushed off his clothes. He watched her from the corner of his eyes as he cleaned himself off. She was standing in the middle of the room, just staring blankly ahead. A slight breeze filtered in from the window, tugging at the ends of her hair. She seemed almost peaceful. He quickly pulled out his phone to message the other Avengers. "You can stay in my room for now. I won't be back until Friday," he said, but he wondered if she could even hear him. He had only seen her lose control a couple of times, and when she did, he noticed that she was often dazed and unresponsive afterwards. "Cap will be here in a second." He turned to leave after getting multiple alarmed replies to his text, feeling almost guilty. He paused as he turned the knob, taking one last look at her. There wasn't much he could do for her in her current state. They would all have to wait until she snapped out of it on her own. "I'll have Happy find a dog."


	8. Chapter 8: Subs

"It's Ms. Peggy, isn't it?" Colleen mumbled. Half her face was squished into a pillow as she laid curled up on the couch. Natasha Romanoff had been pacing back and forth in front of her for the last five minutes. The red-head paused to stare out the expanse of floor-to-ceiling windows. Her hands were clasped behind her back tightly and her form was stiff. Colleen stared at her backlit figure, waiting for a reply.

"Yes," she answered quietly.

"Are you worried about him?" Colleen inquired but she already knew the answer. Both of them had confined themselves to this room while the others duked it out in the office. Steve had been gone for three days and Colleen hadn't heard from him since. She wasn't able to catch anyone between their constant meetings and Natasha had remained tight-lipped about his situation until now. From one page of bad news to another, the teen felt like she was on a roller coaster ride with no way off. She didn't quite understand just how serious this whole situation was with the Accords, but she knew that this would soon cause a rift in their family, if it hasn't already. Most, if not all, the Avengers were headstrong, opinionated, and stubborn. And unfortunately, everyone believed they had the world's best interest at heart.

"No. He can take care of himself," was Natasha's prompt reply.

"What about emotionally?" Colleen prodded. Peggy Carter was Steve Rogers kryptonite, his first and only love. She couldn't imagine how Steve must be feeling. "I don't think I've ever seen him cry before," she whispered. Natasha turned her head to look at the her from her peripheral. Colleen's eyes stared straight ahead, her gaze unfocused. A light breeze picked up in the room. The flowers placed on the coffee table became restless and the tassels on the couch cushions swayed.

"If you're that worried about him, I'll go check on him," Natasha offered. She picked up her keys off the table and watched as the petals stilled from their dance. She didn't wait for a reply before slipping out the room. Colleen watched as she made her swift exit.

"I know you're worried, too." Her chocolate hues stared at the closed door for a while before she propped herself up. She sighed before picking up her phone off the floor. It had slipped off the couch a while ago when she twisted and turned to make herself comfortable. "Want to get so-," she was reading her text alert when she heard the door slam open.

"God, they're stubborn." Colleen's head snapped to her right to see Tony storm in with a hand gripping his forehead. "Oh, didn't see you there," he headed over to the counter lining the walls next to the door and poured himself a mug of coffee. He downed it in one go before turning to lean against the counter.

"Come to a decision?" Colleen rested her arms on the back of her couch.

"One that fancy pants won't like," Tony crossed his arms. "We're going to send Natasha to represent us. We're going to sign," he mumbled the last bit to himself, as if trying to reassure his own mind that this was the right way to go.

"Whatever decision you make, I will always stick by you, Tony. I've said it before and I don't mind saying it again," her voice softened. "Come what may. We will deal with it when it does," she continued carefully. She knew that anything the Avengers touched always had consequences. It just came with the outfit.

"Thanks, kid," Tony nodded in appreciation. He glanced at his watch before looking back at the brunette. "I've got some calls to make with, honestly, unimportant people, but I know someone's going to bug me about it until I do," he kicked off the slate-colored counters.

"I'll be here," Colleen nodded, laying back down onto the couch.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y. tells me otherwise," Tony raised a brow as he made for the door.

"What?" Colleen shot up, a look of confusion evident on her face. She glanced as her phone lit up with a new message hovering above her previously unopened text. "Are you monitoring my stuff again?" She squeaked, embarrassed, as she tried to remember the last few conversations she's had.

"If it's a date, I don't want to know. Condoms!" He waves his hand before shutting the door behind him.

"Tony," she groaned, dropping her head. Her face flushed as she peered at the messages. They were both from Peter, first asking if they wanted to grab some lunch, then asking if she was alright. She quickly responded with an agreement and headed out to meet him.

* * *

"I haven't seen you in forever," Colleen complained. She draped her jacket on the back of her chair and slumped into the weathered booth across from Peter. They were in a small rustic sandwich shop with exposed brick columns and peeling wallpaper. The floors were covered in chipped tiles and probably hadn't been given a proper clean in months. Despite all the imperfections, Alton's Sandwiches was one of the best around and usually attracted an enormous crowd. Peter was somehow able to finesse a table before Colleen arrived, much to the chagrin of those around him. He avoided the heated glares and focused on the girl in front of him, which was, arguably, more difficult. The doe-eyed brunette flickered from him to the menu. "What's good here anyways?"

"You've never been?" Peter's tense shoulders relaxed at the possibility of avoiding the explanation of his whereabouts. His newly acquired hobby of slinging around NYC was taking up a large portion of his free time. The rush of adrenaline and the thought of helping locals was addicting, albeit dangerous.

"I don't get out much, unless I'm with you guys," Colleen browsed the menu. The layout was a bit messy and overly colorful, so much so, that it detracted from the clarity.

"I forget you have strict parents."

"You don't even know the half of it," she let out a breath of a laugh. Peter reached over and tapped on a poorly taken picture of a standard sub. The flash was way too bright, increasing the contrast of the photo and making the sandwich look quite unappetizing. "This one? I'll have to trust you." The two ordered quickly and waited for their food to arrive. In the meantime, they made small talk about how their respective summers were going. Peter mentioned that he was perfecting a pet project of his and Colleen mentioned that her family was dealing with some work issues. When she inquired, he mentioned that he was thinking about using it to show his talents off for internships. When he inquired, she divulged that their parents are concerned about a change in management. Both left it at that. When the sandwiches arrived, Colleen was pleasantly surprised by how flavorful it was. Despite being a usually slow eater, she cleared the plate in record time. She sipped some water to chase it all down. As she set the Styrofoam cup down, she noticed a small bruise on the underside of Peter's arm.

"What happened there?" She motioned towards the injury.

"Oh, this? I," he paused, avoiding her gaze. "I hit it when I was moving something for Aunt May," he cleared his throat before giving her a fleeting smile. "You know, clumsy old me and all," he awkwardly laughed. "Always bumping into inanimate things!" Colleen raised a brow before shaking her head. It was clear that something else caused the damage and it worried her that Peter was trying to hide the reason behind it.

"You should be more careful," she reached over to brush over the patch of darkened skin. Peter held his breath when he felt the light brush of her fingers against his skin. His eyes bounced between her hand and her face. She slowly retracted her arm with no mention at the abrupt contact. He could feel his face flushing and he honestly didn't know if he should address what just happened. It was just friends being friends, right? She was just worried about him and wanted to make sure he wasn't hurt. A sudden dread entered his body and left it chilled when he realized that he just lied to her. This was happening more and more to those around him and the realization that it was now a common place in his life had him shaken.

"Oh my god, look at that!" A woman gasped in horror while her eyes were transfixed on something to their left. Both of their heads snapped to attention and followed the direction of her gaze. On the small television set sitting on the counter, a newscaster sat with a solemn face while a video played to the corner of the screen. It was enlarged to show a shaky camera filming a familiar building before an explosion engulfed the shot. Plumes of charcoal black smoke immediately rose to fill the area, engulfing even the camera crew. The screen was pitch black for a second before the news caster reappeared. Colleen's blood ran cold.

"I-," she stood up and nearly knocked the plates right off the table with how fast she grabbed her bag. "I need to go!" She began to push through the crowd of people, all of them swarming against her to reach the TV. People were pulling out their phones to check their social media and others were holding each other close at the sudden devastation of the bombing. The implications of this attack were huge.

"Colleen?!" Peter shouted as her head started disappearing into the sea of people. He saw her look of absolute panic.

"I'm sorry! I-I'll text you." He saw her turn to look at him before she was gone. He sat there, unsure of what just happened.

Finally making it outside, Colleen fumbled to get her phone out as quickly as possible. Her phone was flooded with security alerts and updates in real-time from F.R.I.D.A.Y. She skipped all those to immediately dial Natasha. "Come on. Pick up, please, please," she begged as she tried to hail down a taxi. No one paid her much mind and she decided to leg it instead. "Please," she gasped as she broke out into a full sprint. Her heart pounded in her chest as she dodged pedestrians left and right. She nearly broke out in tears when it reached her voicemail. "Someone, please," she began dialing the others but none of them picked up. Tony's line was busy, and it was immediately put on hold. All the way home, Colleen was stuck in a constant state of fear. One of the closest people in her life was in that building. The one she saw go up in flames and fall back down as ash and debris. When she finally reached the Avengers Facility, she tried to make contact again but to no avail. Agents rushed around her as people tried to figure out what happened and who did it. Colleen ended up locking herself in her room. She sat at her desk, her phone in front of her, and waited with bated breath. After an hour, Natasha's name popped up on her cell. She nearly dropped the phone with how fast she tried to answer it.

"Thank God," she cried, her voice shaking. "I thought you died!"

"I'm fine. Calm down," the redhead replied quietly. It was difficult to hear her over the insanity that must've been happening in Vienna. "Where are you?" She seemed too calm, way too calm. Colleen got up from her chair and headed over to her window. The new installment was more advanced and now sported a pressure-sensing system that retracted the glass when the readings inside the room were too high.

"I'm in my room at the facility."

"Good. Stay there. A lot's going to happen in the next 48 hours. Don't put yourself in the crossfire." Natasha ordered. Colleen's brows furrowed at her sudden change of tone.

"What does that mean? Natasha? What's happened? What's happening?" Colleen gripped her phone tightly.

"Let me take care of it. Do not leave the facility. That is an order," Natasha responded quickly before the line went dead. Colleen's eyes stared straight ahead, out into the expanse of forest around her side of the building. She felt it. It blossomed in her heart and traveled throughout her nervous system, reaching every last crevice. It touched each individual cell and traveled through every fiber of her body. A war was coming.

* * *

A/N: Soooooo, I'm back? Please don't murder me. I bring cookies.


End file.
